The charging of portable electronic devices such as cell phones, smart phones, tablets, MP3 players, etc. within vehicles has evolved. Many vehicles utilized typical wired charging apparatuses that require a user to position the portable electronic device in a specific manner that would allow a DC power cord to be plugged in to a DC connector such as a vehicle power supply, power adapter, or cigarette lighting receptacle. With the advent of inductive charging, vehicles started to utilize in-vehicle inductive chargers. An inductive charger typically uses an induction coil to create an electromagnetic field to transfer power to a portable electronic device which also contains an induction coil to receive power from the electromagnetic field and coverts it into an electrical current in order to charge the battery of the portable electronic device.
Wireless/inductive chargers have been located within the center panel of a front portion of the vehicle compartment, between the driver and passenger seats of a vehicle. These charging arrangements require that inductive wireless charging can only occur when the portable electronic device is placed in a horizontal position while charging. However, horizontal charging is associated to many types of issues and places limitations as to the user's use of the device. These issues and limitations are caused by a difficult angle of operating the device, difficult viewing of the device screen, and high likelihood of an object or other individual obstructing access to the device. In addition, horizontal charging requires vehicles to be equipped with a tray or specific area within the center panel of the vehicle to hold and charge the portable electronic device in a stationary position in order to maintain a wireless charge. Additionally, horizontal positioning also increases the likelihood of wasted charging energy as foreign objects such as coins tend to collect in a vehicle's horizontal surface.
To counter these issues, manufactures have employed the use of suction cups, suckers, or hook and loop fasteners to hold a portable device in place in a vertical charging position. However, such components tend to have a very short lifecycle as they do not maintain a hold on the devices for an extended period of time, rendering the charger useless after a short amount of time. In many cases, such components can not retain or mount a device for an extended period of use causing the portable electronic device to be released and dropped due to a lack of prolonged suctioning or fastening strength.
Also many of these devices require that the user append hook and loop fasteners, a cover, or an adhesive material onto the surface of the portable electronic device in order to retain the portable electronic device to the charger. Additionally, many of these inductive charges include claps, cradles, or holders only configured for a limited amount of electronic device form factors. In many instances, the limitations of these devices cause driver's to be distracted as portable electronic devices fail to retain a charge or fall to the ground, which can result in damage to the portable electronic device in some cases.